Simone St. James is a master at ghost stories. A Box Full of Darkness was dragged me in from the first page to the last and was dripping with nostalgia from previous Simone St. James books that will make you want to go back and re-read them just for old times sake.

Violet, Vail and Dodie grew up in Fell, with parents that weren't very attentive to their children, but when their little brother Ben is born, their life changes forever. When Ben one day disappears without a trace, their lives change in an instant. Two decades later, they receive a call stating that Ben's ghost has called for their return to Fell so they can find out once and for all what truly happened to him.

Thank you to the oublisher and NetGalley for the free copy of A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James in exchange for my honest review.

After discovering Simone St. James with Murder Road, there is a particular level of excitement I get out of diving into one of their novels and this went the same for A Box Full of Darkness. St. James' latest novel is creepy, eerie, thrilling, and most of all had me hooked.

Strange things happen in Fell, New York. A mysterious drowning at the town’s roadside motel. The unexplained death of a young girl whose body is left by the railroad tracks. For the Esmie siblings—Violet, Vail, and Dodie—the final straw was the shocking disappearance of their little brother. It started as a normal game of hide-and-seek. The three closed their eyes and counted to ten while Ben went to hide. But this time, they never found their brother—he was gone and the ongoing search efforts turned up no clues.

As their parents grew increasingly distant, Violet, Vail, and Dodie were each haunted by visions and frightening events that made them leave town and never look back. Violet still sees dead people—spirits who remind her of Sister, the menacing presence that terrorized her for years.

And now after two decades running from their past, it’s time for a homecoming. Because Ben is back, and he’s ready to lead them to the answers they’ve longed for and long feared. If the ghosts of Fell don’t get to them first.

I am not sure what I expected when I started A Box Full of Darkness, but it turned out to be a surprise...in the best way. Simone St. James gave us a unique haunted house tale that was full of twists and turns. There is a ton of uneasiness mixed with emotional depth when the three siblings are called back to their childhood home by their deceased brother. This combination of fear and emotional connection made it easy to continue reading.

A Box Full of Darkness is part ghost story, part haunted house horror, and part an emotional redemption story, all wrapped up into a thrilling horror. It lands perfect jump scares and timely creepy moments that made me glad I wasn't alone in my house. While this paranormal thriller was fun to read, I did struggle a bit with the names of the three siblings and at times had a tough time figuring out who was who, but this might just be me.

It was clever of St. James to tie this story to The Sun Down Motel. At first, I thought the reference was a fund nod, but it didn't stop with one mention. However, this story can be read as a standalone without knowing about the 2020 novel.

A Box Full of Darkness is another strong tale from Simone St. James. While it doesn't live up to Murder Road or even the book with a slight connection, The Sun Down Motel, it was definitely a enjoyable and truly unsettling novel.

I’ll admit it upfront, I’m not a “paranormal” or “horror” reader. Nine times out of ten, if I venture into this genre, I end up disappointed. But Simone St. James is the exception. Every time she releases a new book, I drop everything because I know I’m about to be pulled into something haunting, unsettling, and unforgettable.

A Box Full of Darkness is a slow burn that took me a little while to settle into. The early chapters leaned a bit more YA in tone than I expected, and I wasn’t immediately attached to any of the characters (in fact, I can’t say I liked any of them). But that almost became the point, the Esmie siblings are deeply flawed, scarred people, running from grief, secrets, and a family tragedy that has shaped their entire lives. Once I hit the 50% mark, the story sunk its claws in, and I couldn’t look away.

This novel thrives in its atmosphere. St. James doesn’t go for cheap scares or over the top horror. Instead, she builds tension brick by brick: a creak in an empty room, a shadow that doesn’t quite belong, a memory you can’t shake. It’s eerie in the way old houses are eerie, in the way grief never really leaves you alone. And the callbacks to The Sun Down Motel made my horror loving heart happy, I almost wish I had reread it to keep everything fresh.

By the final act, I was completely invested. The mix of family trauma, supernatural dread, and the inescapable pull of the past hit exactly the right notes for spooky season. This is the kind of book you want to read with the lights low, on a rainy night, when the shadows seem just a little too long.

Simone St. James is one of the rare authors who makes me want to explore a genre I don’t normally reach for. She consistently proves that horror can be more than monsters, it can be memory, regret, and the things that linger when the world goes quiet. A Box Full of Darkness may start as a whisper, but by the end, it’s a scream.

[POTENTIAL SPOILERS} I usually am able to suspend my disbelief easily enough to really enjoy a good ghost story, but too many loose ends are left unexplained at the end of this one. What was Ben, exactly? And what happened to his body when he disappeared, since it's established that he did indeed have a physical body? I have many similar questions about "Sister," so overall the book just didn't deliver for me. I feel like St. James just needs to define what's going on a bit more clearly here. It does seem as if the Esme siblings will be featured in future books, so perhaps more will be unraveled in then....

That said, there is much to be appreciated about the book: the Esme siblings are great characters and it wouldn't be unwelcome to see them in future novels. And I really enjoyed that St. James set the story back in Fell, home of the Sun Down Motel, and that she references some of her other novels as well (the comparison to "Sister": with presence haunting the "Broken Girls" boarding school was especially effective).

Thank you for an advance copy in exchange for review.

This was my first St. James thriller and I absolutely loved it. It had supernatural and horror elements to it, and it was propulsive from the beginning to the end. Will highly recommend!

I swear Simone never disappoints me! This kept me on my toes and I couldn’t put it down. I usually guess plots halfway through and this one did a great job at making me think twice about everything!

Simone St. James NEVER disappoints me when it comes to a good spooky ghost story, this book was no different! This spooky little town Simone created for this story was fantastic. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!

Simone St. James is a master of what I like to call horror lite. I have read several of her books and I enjoyed the callbacks to previous works. The sibling dynamic was really fun and though I don’t always enjoy the romance aspect of St. James’ previous work, I liked how it played out here. The town felt like its own character in the book and I enjoyed revisiting it after the Sun Down Motel.

I have read several books by this author and this one was pretty good. I liked the characters and finding out their futures. There were some unanswered questions like the origin of the baby. I didn't really like the 'monster' Sister. How could it be physical? ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Violet's little brother Ben disappeared when he was 6 years old, and neither she nor her siblings Vail and Dodie ever found out what happened to him. All three of the siblings have left their childhood home and never returned. Yet, Violet pays to have the house cared for and the property landscaped. One day she receives a call that the landscapers saw Ben and they refuse to return to the house. So Violet calls Dodie and Vail and the three of them return home to see what happened and if they can find out what happened to Ben.

The catch? It's Ben's ghost that was seen.

Once home, weird things begin to happen. Water drops on the floor, writing on the walls, weird noises, sightings of Ben and a young woman, suddenly other ghosts are coming out with violent behavior. Determined to get to the bottom of it, the siblings begin to investigate Ben's birth and their parents...and things don't add up. Enlisting the help of a fellow ghost hunter and former high school classmate, they uncover a mysterious family who used to live in the house years before and the evil "Sister" who's haunting them all.

Wow, Simone St. James knows how to write paranormal thrillers! This book was so creepy and I couldn't read it at night! I did feel like there were a few loose ends that needed to be tied, up but overall, I loved it!

I am a big fan of Simone St. James and this book did not disappoint! I don’t typically read books that deal with the supernatural but this one was really good. I liked all the connections and how the story came together. I also liked the relationship that the siblings had together.

This was one of my most anticipated reads - so it really pains me to give this one 3*

PROS:
*Interesting premise “Siblings return to the house they fled eighteen years before, called back by the ghost of their long-missing brother and his haunting request to come home.”

*Atmospheric setting in the town of Fell, New York. Lots of creepy vibes and sense of unease in the house they once called home

CONS:
*Underdeveloped and lackluster characters. I struggled to connect with any of the siblings, Violet, Vail, and Dodie Esmie. They seemed to be stuck in “young teen” mode rather than being fully adult in their decisions.

They had all left home after the disappearance of their younger brother Ben. Last seen while they were playing a game of hide and seek.

Violet continued to see and feel the ghosts, which tormented her as a child. Vail saw bright lights and had dreams about aliens. Dodie has had recurrent nightmares.

*I am usually all in for this author’s novels - however I felt this was basically a ghost story with just some supernatural elements thrown in

*The ending was disappointing and left lots of loose threads and unexplained parts of the “mystery”.

This isn’t a bad book but definitely not on par with some of St. James’s other books, notably “The Sun Down Motel” and most recently “Murder Road”.

Others enjoyed this one more than I did. This was a buddy read with Norma, Brenda, Carolyn and Mary Beth. Be sure to read their excellent reviews.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

Considering Sundown Motel is one of my favourites, it’s no surprise that I loved A Box Full of Darkness. I loved the little Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the book! Something I really enjoy is St. James ability to weave paranormal horror with mystery thriller. It draws you in and you can’t stop until you finish the book. Some of the scenes kept me awake!! My only critique was the ending because it felt unresolved. I wished St. James had provided more explanation about Ben/Edward.

⭐️2.5 Stars⭐️

First and foremost, thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have had a wide range of reading experiences with Simone St. James, and I do consider myself a fan of her horror-lite style, where she usually shines. Unfortunately, A Box Full of Darkness fell short for me.

The sibling characters felt surface-level and lacked depth, which made them difficult to root for individually. When they were together, their banter often felt awkward and clunky. The attempts at humor tried too hard to land and came across as juvenile rather than witty, which was a real distraction from the story.

The premise itself was not St. James' strongest. Too many open-ended questions were left unresolved, especially around the brother, Ben. How did he appear? Why did he disappear? These mysteries should have been central to the story, but instead the reader is left to make assumptions.

There were moments when I felt glimpses of the Simone St. James I love, and those pulled me in for a time. But overall, the novel felt disjointed and lacked the clarity and tension I have come to expect from St. James' work, which I recommend to fellow readers often!

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I requested this because I generally enjoy Simone St. James’s books, and I like that her last couple have been clearer and less coy about the supernatural bent (I feel like her first couple of books were trying to ride the line between “ghost story” and “logical explanation” in a way that bugged me). For some reason I kept forgetting this was set in 1989 and a reference would throw me (the fact that Vail has to wait for his film to be developed, or that Violet isn’t trying to text her daughter, to name a couple).

Anyway, the Esmie siblings are returning to their childhood home for the first time in nearly 20 years. Their parents have been dead a while, but the landscapers that Violet hired to keep the place from looking abandoned have up and quit because they saw…something. Violet assumes this is a connection to their long lost little brother Ben - he went missing at the age of six and was never found. It’s assumed he wandered off and succumbed to the elements, but they never found a body. Given that Violet can see ghosts, she’s remarkably chill about this turn of events and grimly realizes it’s time to go back to the old homestead to finally put Ben to rest. Siblings Vail and Dodie return as well, since it feels like all three of them need to be there to solve this mystery once and for all. Dodie is a model (she’s the least well developed of the 3, I thought), but Vail is a UFO investigator. He’s convinced he was also visited by aliens as a child, so after an injury sidelined his diving career, he spends his time helping others investigate their alien encounters.

Once the sibs return to the house and start investigating, strange things begin happening. The ghost Violet only knows as “Sister,” who has haunted her off and on her whole life, has returned with a vengeance, and she seems to be getting stronger. They’re frequently finding Ben’s toys laying around in different spots, and all three begin having their childhood nightmares again - Violet’s involves sister, Dodie's involves drowning, and Vail’s involves bright light and someone/thing standing over his bed. They all agree they can feel Ben’s presence too, but there’s definitely something *else* in the house. Meanwhile, the investigation takes some strange turns - for one thing, the siblings all realize none of them remember Ben actually being born. For another, the police file has no record of actual photographs of Ben, and in spite of the fact that he was six, he never attended school. It’s almost like he never existed at all - but they all have very clear memories of him.

The investigation itself is interesting, and while I predicted the outcome pretty early on, I still mostly enjoyed watching the characters get there. I have a pretty big quibble with the unraveling, but as always I’ll save that until after the book is actually published!

Also - there are mentions of the Sundown Motel, which features in St James’s book of the same name. It has been FAR too long since I’ve read that book, so I remember almost nothing about it (other than the ghosts), but are there other callbacks here that I’m missing too?

Simone St. James never misses! *A Box Full of Darkness* is creepy, twisty, and totally unputdownable. I flew through it in a day—so many surprises, and that eerie atmosphere she does so well? Perfect.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC!

St. James is an automatic author, meaning I’ll automatically read anything she writes. In my opinion BFOD ranks rights up with The Broken Girls and The Sun Down Motel. As a plus it is set in Fell, NY.

Fell is not a nice place. Bad things happened at the Sun Down Motel, and bad things happened to the three kids — Violet, Vail, and Dodie — who grew up in the haunted Esmie house. The kids, now in their 30s and far away from Fell, are close in the way that those bonded through trauma are close. Otherwise they bicker and fight, and refuse to discuss the issues each experienced from their individual hauntings at the Fell house. For oldest sibling Violet, it’s seeing ghosts; when she was young she was tormented by a malicioius spirit named “Sister.” For Vail, it’s the devoted belief that aliens are real; as a kid he was traumatized by brilliant spotlights blinding him at night as a shadowy alien shape watched. Youngest sibling Dodie flits through life without a seeming care, but is plagued by nightmares of drowning in cold fetid water.

BFOD begins when Violet receives an otherworldly message: come home. The ghost of youngest Esmie brother, Ben, who disappeared without a trace when he was six, is calling the surviving siblings back to Fell. No one wants to go, but they know they must. As much as they’ve been damaged by their fears, they’ve also been tormented by Ben’s inexplicable disappearance. Now, 20 years later, it’s time to find out what happened to Ben Esmie — and who Ben Esmie really was. They return to the Fell house under a ghostly prophecy: only two of the three siblings will ever leave.

I love that St. James circles back to the dysfunctional town of Fell. It gives overtures of Derry, hints at a potential mythology/universe of connected stories. I also liked the family dynamic of the three siblings. I did have questions at the end — some loose plot threads and concepts that left me with my own boxful of whys and hows. But not enough to keep me from thoroughly enjoying the chills and thrills of this story. This is a top read for 2026.

3.5 stars, rounded up. Overall, I liked “A Box Full of Darkness’, though it is not my favorite by the author. Good, creepy vibes here & don’t go into the basement, LOL! I liked that the setting was the same town - Fell, NY - as the excellent “SunDown Motel” & enjoyed the call-backs to it. But I thought the pacing was off here - just so slow that I left it & returned a while later - it happens. Overall, just an okay read for me. My thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for my advance readers copy - always grateful for the opportunity to read/review!!

👻ARC REVIEW 👻

PUB DATE:JAN 19th 2026

My Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Spooky Stars

🔥🔥🔥🔥 Hold up calling all Supernatural fans of slow burn classic mystery ghost stories, because boy do I have a book for you 😮

A Box Full of Darkness was the exorcism I didn’t know I needed !!

Filled with 80’s nostalgia vibes, and it’s atmospheric tension that slowly pulled the reader in , this book will steal hours of your sleep !

Told between multiple POV’s the Esmie siblings are said to be crazy and loners and they have been beckoned back to their hometown in Fell . Their 6 year old brother Ben went missing almost 20 years ago and he is haunting them to come back and help find him .

I loved this story , it had this eerie coldness to it and I wanted to know the story behind Ben’s disappearance , but also had this tenderness to it between the broken siblings .

I don’t really want to give too much away and while do I think it will NOT be for everyone , I do think fans of Stephen King, ghost stories , atmospheric thrillers with 80’s nostalgic vibes will absolutely love this one !

I also loved how the Sun Down Motel was referenced several times throughout the story .

Hollywood you need to adapt this into a movie ASAP!!

Thank you NetGalley , Berkley Publishing Group and @simonestjames for this gripping ARC !!

We return to Fell, NY in this standalone ghost story. Three siblings return to the family home 18 years after the family abandoned it. Their younger brother disappeared while playing hide and seek in the house but now landscapers refused to service the house anymore after repeated sightings of the child’s ghost. Guilt forces the siblings to return to finally figure out exactly what happened.
I could not put this down but only give it three stars as I had several huge unanswered questions and was left vaguely unsatisfied with the end.